A Nowra woman has been ordered to pay more than $10,000 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act after pleading guilty to two charges of animal cruelty against her Maltese cross terrier.

After a complaint was made in May last year an RSPCA Inspector attended the Worrigee property. Property owner Kirsty Hite verbally abused the inspector, refusing to present the dog and demanding the RSPCA leave her property. Ms Hite then attempted to attack the Inspector over the fence as she tried to see if the dog was somewhere in the backyard.

Returning with two members of the local police on June 12 the inspector once again tried to access the dog but was met with aggression and abuse as Ms Hite answered her door.

Eventually Ms Hite agreed to show the inspector and officers the dog they were looking for, saying she was in the backyard along with a younger dog.

A young Staffy crossbreed was found in the backyard in good body condition. Also in the backyard the inspector found a female Maltese cross Shih Tzu with badly matted fur around her rump and legs. After evaluating the dog the inspector noted that the Maltese was emaciated, with vertebrae, ribs, hips and thigh bones protruding.

The inspector made the decision to seize the dog. Ms Hite admitted that her dog was underweight but denied any abuse had taken place claiming she fed both dogs daily but the Staffy cross would always dominate and eat all food provided. When officers did not accept this explanation Ms Hite once again became abusive towards the inspector.

An inspection by the local vet found that the dog was severely underweight. After shaving the matted fur her weight dropped from 3.1 kilograms to 2.9 kilograms. The dog was also diagnosed with a moderate flea burden and a worm burden of Strongyle eggs.

The Maltese was weighed again on the 14th of July after care and treatment. She now weighs a healthy 4.27 kilograms and is waiting to be rehomed by the RSPCA

Ms Hite was charged with failure to provide veterinary treatment for parasite burden and failure to provide proper and sufficient food to an animal. Ms Hite is required to pay $10,246 and must attend the local police station for fingerprinting.

BY TRAUDY GLASENCNIK

In an industry deemed by Welfare Groups such as Animals Australia and the RSPCA to be the cruellest and unnecessary form of animal suffering imaginable, the global markets view seems more casual: it’s bloody business as usual.

An ongoing war of reason between farmers, politicians the public and animal welfare groups rages on, with an end to live export nowhere in sight.

Figures for the January – May 2014 quarter rose by 30,000 from the previous year. The increase is a result of the demand for larger and heavier Australian cattle for the Indonesian market. In March 2014, the government confirmed that live export to Egypt would resume under the guidance of the Exporters Supply Chain Assurance System(ESCAS), despite Egypt having a history of systemic animal cruelty which led to its suspension from the live trade in 2004 and 2008. Although it is already an established world leader in live exports, Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce said Australia was seeking to open new markets. Australia’s meat industry is estimated at AUD$16 billion a year, with live exports making up a relatively small amount of the overall figure, bringing in approximately $800-$1 billion a year. Most farmers do not, or choose not to, export their animals alive. Domestic consumption and chilled meat exports contribute to the bulk of the industry.

The May 2011 the Four Corners expose on Indonesia, A Bloody Business, shocked and sickened the nation. Animals Australia had obtained live footage of the horrendous treatment and senseless cruelty inflicted on Australian cattle in Indonesian abattoirs. So overwhelming was the reaction from the Australian public for these doomed and defenseless animals the Gillard government was forced to act. All live trade to Indonesia was suspended pending an investigation into the undeniable horror. The turning point to reform within the live export trade and ESCAS was established.

Since the new reform system has been in place, little has changed for the treatment and safety of the animals exported live. Animals Australia continues to be a charity-sponsored watchdog, holding exporters accountable for breaches of the regulatory system by reporting its investigative evidence to the Minister for Agriculture. ESCAS remains a self-regulated system, placing the responsibility of the animals into the hands of their exporters. This allows exporters to push the envelope as far as they can in order to maximize returns, leaving the animals vulnerable and unprotected.

Many live sheep and cattle are still exported to unapproved ESCAS countries and facilities. Damning reports and video footage of unspeakable cruelty continue to be uncovered. The fight for these sentient creatures goes on.

Beef Cattle. More than 40,000 sheep also died in 2008, while being exported from Australia to the Middle East. Photo: Brad Smith/flickr

BY STEPHANIE MANKINN

The RSPCA is demanding the Australian Government release the cause of death of 263 cattle on board the MV Ocean Shearer, destined for Egypt earlier this year.

“A 1.6% mortality rate at sea is very high for cattle and the RSPCA urges the Australian Government to release the details of what happened as soon as possible,” said RSPCA Australia CEO Heather Neil.

This is the first consignment of Australian animals since the live export trade ban was lifted.

“The live cattle trade with Egypt should never have been reopened,” said Ms. Neil. “While the closed loop system they will be processed in is an improvement, cattle will still face cruel death in Egypt, not only through the use of inhumane restraints, but also because they are not stunned prior to slaughter.”

It is also reported on the RSPCA website that 40,241 sheep died in 2008, while being exported from Australia to the Middle East.

The live export trade also results in thousands of workers in the meat processing industry being laid-off due to a shortage of animals.

“It’s quite confronting when you hear from people in the industry that there’s an abattoir where literally the trucks with the live animals drive almost past the abattoir to the live export port and the abattoir is struggling to keep jobs open because there are not enough animals to kill,” said RSPCA’s Scientific Officer Melina Tensen.

According to Ms. Neil, Australia’s beef exports were worth five times more to our economy than live cattle exports in 2009. “Every animal we send overseas for slaughter takes Australian jobs with it and for little economic reward,” said Ms. Neil.

“Egypt has proven it will take Australian chilled and frozen meat over live animals, so we should be working on growing our processing capacity, not increasing live exports.”